Well, basically what it says above. Ronin has grown like 7 feet, weighs in at a whopping 30 pounds, and can read simple words when she’s feeling obliging. She is intensely willful and inordinately contrary. We like to say that she inherited the contrary gene from her great-grandma Nikki. She loves to sing and is constantly making up songs about random things, like a little mosquito, a bird flying to its nest, a little blue car.. She makes up unusual melodies and even attempts to rhyme her verses. Driving in the car on short trips around town is no longer fraught with peril; she sits tight, sings herself a song, and most importantly, stays awake (usually).

Summer was brief and very mild. I didn’t get my tomatoes into the ground until June and they are just now fruiting (but they are fruiting lots). I also tried to grow arugula and as soon as the plants got large enough that I felt I wouldn’t be depriving them of their only mature leaves to make my salad, they all bolted. Lame!

Earthday: Ronin danced with the hippies and rolled in the grass.

Ronin and the other kids peeking at Kricket in her caterpillar puppet.

I painted a little snake on her arm. What then followed was an introverted hour of intense concentration while she carefully picked all the paint off with her fingernails. Temporary tattoos are also far more temporary than they should be where Ronin is concerned.

Hiking in Forest Park. Ronin wanted up.

Our summer was really very low key, yet we kept very busy. We went to the river or lake, hiked in the woods, and biked around our new section of town to one of the many different parks. We did a lot of cooking and eating al fresco while the kitchen was dismantled. Here I am cooking a caramel custard on the back patio amidst the construction debris.

Ronin finally got her bunkbed. It took us long enough. We were given this one by Joshua’s mom, who used to use it in her classroom for puppet shows. It’s way sturdier than the IKEA one and we didn’t have to monkey with it to get rid of the lower bunk. Unfortunately, it had been stored in her garage for two years and had some mildew on it. I scrubbed it and dried it well before we assembled it in Ronin’s bedroom but by the time we got it together, both of us were coughing, had tight throats, and just general allergy-yuck symptoms. So, to Ronin’s intense and vocal disappointment (we felt so bad), we took it apart and brought it back outside, where we stewed over what to do with it. In the end, I sanded the entire thing, sanded away all mildewy spots, and then lacquered it with many coats of the stuff I finished the floor in the kitchen with. It no longer smells and it looks quite nice. We got it back up in Ronin’s room soon thereafter and she LOVES it.

Bunny and Nigel love it.

All the guys got to sleep in it the first couple of nights. Now she’s back down to Nigel and sometimes one other guy.

Underneath is a little playhouse. We have curtains that enclose it and I thought I could cut little windows, a door, and paint cute things on it.

She has never before shown any sort of irrational fear to anything but just lately she has voiced some concern about a moose in the walls. Also a knocking in the bathroom closet. Neither of us are sure where this came from. She always wants us to open the closet so she can look inside (there’s a toilet plunger in there, which I suppose is scary in its own right). It was bound to start at some point I suppose, but still, we’re trying to figure out how best to respond so that that they fade rather than grow more intense.

Joshua signed her up for a gymnastics class and she loved it. She is strong and fearless (when it doesn’t involve moose) and can hang on a bar almost indefinitely. She likes the bars and the “balance bean.” We originally thought we would put her in ballet since she’s still mad about it but the ballet classes seem to be less structured for this age group. Maybe when she’s a little older.

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8 Comments on “Summer is gone and we never posted anything about it”

I have never seen anyone as ecstatically happy as Ronin on her bunkbed. If only life could be as simple as having your own bunkbed. With a little kitchen underneath. I gotta get Dad up there to play cool games with Ronin. Soon. —xxooMom

Dude! It’s about time you updated your site! I’ve been wanting to see what you’ve been up to! Ronin is awesome! I won’t let Annika see this though… every time we go to IKEA she says she wants a bunkbed. We’re going to have to wait a while though… Glad to see you are all well!

A time machine, indeed. Time has flown and suddenly I find myself back in your orbit and there’s a little one, but she’s not so little, it’s like, one minute you were in that bay with the weird yacht fire starting Frenchman, I went crazy for a few years, and now here we are, me about to be free again, and you guys with this gorgeous little creature called Ronin.
It’s been nice catching up!

Hola again!
Yes, still have the boat.
Will be free soon, totally, with either my boat being the main focus, or the boat, travel overland by truck, love, not sure which way it’s gonna go, he he he, but will know come Christmas. Headin’ over to AZ, up to Flag for three weeks, then back to Japan till early March, then that’s it! No more work.

I really can’t believe how I missed a huge chunk of your world. Your daughter is so big already. I have a friend in Tokyo and his kid is 6 now but it seems that she’s been six for a hundred years, and your kid has taken time machine to a whole new level. ;)
Anyway, nice to have caught up, LOVE your house, and have a wonderful Yule, and more.

I know I’m late to the party on this… But… dood… the photo of Ronin hanging from the bar made me laugh so hard that my host mother knocked on my door to make sure I hadn’t gone mad. Really. Your kid has a good life. :) Joy.